


Feelin' Good

by Caramelmclovin



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, California wasteland, Drug Use, Eventual Romance, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Mojave Wasteland (Fallout), Multi, My First Fanfic, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Teenage Drama, gotta start somewhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 11:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19440994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caramelmclovin/pseuds/Caramelmclovin
Summary: A coming of age story and an action packed adventure. This story follows Zachary "Zig" Pointer, as he comes of age in Vault 17 and deals daddy issues, family tension, romance, friendship, and perhaps a few more dangerous elements of the Fallout Universe.





	1. G.O.A.T

"Alright everybody, take your seats" Mr. Hatchet ordered as his students shuffled into the classroom barely on schedule; likely due to the nature of the day's class. Mr. Hatchet had a small holotape in his hand with a piece of tape reading "G.O.A.T., 2152" stuck on it in neat, square letters. "Today, you'll be taking the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test. to determine your place in the vault. This is an important milestone for all of you, so take it seriously. I can’t say it’s been a pleasure teaching you all, but I’m pleased to announce you’ve all graduated on time at least.” The graying man walked over to his terminal and fed the tape to it. “You can access the test now on your wrist mounted Pip Boy computers. Once you've completed the test, come to me, and I will download the test results into the terminal. Best of luck.” He announced. Mr. Hatchet took a seat at his desk to monitor the testing room.

"I can't wait to get this over with." Zig huffed, slumping down in his seat and opening his pip boy to the test. He raised a brow when he read the notification that popped up in the corner of the first question: Question 1/100.

"You’ve got to be kidding me." Zig grumbled and sank lower in his seat, pushing his feet past his desk.

"Hey, watch it!" Lilith, the girl seated in front of him, snatched her water bottle off the floor before he could kick it over. "Be more careful!" she hissed.

"Sorry." Zig apologized automatically. He returned his attention to his Pip Boy and began filling out the electronic forms. The first one read:  
You are approached by a frenzied Vault scientist, who yells, "I'm going to put my quantum harmonizer in your photonic resonation chamber!" What's your response?

Zig read through the options, and was surprised that none of them made any sense to him. They were all nonsense along the lines of hitting the man with a pipe, or charmingly responding with something vulgar. Deciding that he wouldn’t know the right answer even if he had known what a “quantum harmonizer” was, Zig just picked C.  
After a few questions, he realized that the G.O.A.T wasn’t at all like a normal test. They were all dilemmas and “what if” scenarios. He found most of them irrelevant to any career, but what did he know about it? Maybe the test was pointless, and everyone got the job they asked for. 

An hour passed in the metal lined classroom; not that anyone noticed. The only indicator of time there was the clock. The Underground vault did not afford its residents any sunlight, but the fluorescent ceiling lights satisfied them the same. No one paid any attention to the difference, since no one had seen the sun in generations. Vault-tec posters and educational charts adorned the walls instead of windows and blinds.

Under the cool white lights and the watchful gaze of Mr. Hatchet, everyone remained quiet while they tried to figure out how to answer the questions and get the career they wanted. Zig looked around while everyone else focused and he noticed Lilith biting her nails while deep in thought.  
Lilith sat right in front of Zig every year since starting school, but they did not talk all that much. He picked up that she wanted to be a hairdresser from conversations with her friends, which made sense to Zig; her hair was always tied up and tortured in strange ways. Apparently, that is attractive because Emery Wallace had the most obvious crush on her.

Emery sat all the way in the back of the classroom. He was a quiet kid, and he never caused any trouble for anyone. He went out of his way to stay out of drama. Emery was the kind of person who accepted the wrong order at the cafeteria rather than bother the lunch lady to get him the right one. Zig always thought he lacked a backbone, but there wasn't much need for one in the vault science department.

Unlike the rest of the students who were anxious about where they were being placed, Emery was obviously cut out for the research and development team. He was the smartest kid in the class and was always tinkering with his Pip Boy. He undoubtedly had the most unique gadget out of anyone in the vault. Some of the kids gave him a hard time, though, such as the Larkam twins, Harris and James. They were the only two red heads in the entire vault and they took that to mean they were special or something. They liked to pick on Emery, who was too weak and too shy to ever fight back. One time, during the elementary dance, the twins pantsed the poor kid in front of everyone. That might have been the start of Emery's self-isolation. Zig tried to stand up for him when he could, but that wasn't often. It's hard to stick your neck out for someone who's always that vulnerable.

"Eyes forward, Mr. Pointer" Hatchet barked from behind his desk. Zig realized that he had been staring at Emery, though he didn't know for how long. Luckily, Emery didn't look up from his test, not that he'd take it the wrong way, probably.

Zig snapped his attention back to his own test again, answering a few more bizarre questions before the sound of someone getting up broke his focus.  
Katherine Briggs, the daughter of the head of security, walked right up to Mr. Hatchet and showed him her Pip boy. "You sure finished quickly…" he noted. Mr. Hatchet took a wire and connected her pip boy to the terminal to transfer the results. "Says here you're going to be the Vault 17 loyalty inspector. Congratulations." He disconnected the terminal from her wrist and gave her a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Hatchet, am I free to go?" she asked, looking pleased with herself.

"You're free to go. Report to your father in the morning for scheduling and-"His words faltered as a man wearing a bulletproof vest entered the classroom.

"Daddy, what are you doing here?" Katherine asked while her father scanned the classroom.

"I'm not here for you, sweetheart." he told her. "Zachary Pointer,, you're coming with me." He nodded Zig.

"I'm sorry? Did I do something?" Zig rose from his desk, looking around at the reactions of his classmates.

"No, you're not in any trouble" the officer clarified, "the Overseer wants to talk to you."

"I'm in the middle of my G.O.A.T, officer." Zig pointed out.

"Depending on how you play your cards, you might not have to take it, kid" Officer Briggs informed him

Zig didn't like that answer much, but he was curious about what could be worth interrupting a high school G.O.A.T exam. He looked to his teacher for advice, "Can I just pick the test back up when I come back?" he asked his teacher, who had stood up when the officer entered the room.

"No. You must exit the exam before leaving the room. Only the Overseer can override the restrictions for you to take it again. Ask him while you're up there." "Alright" Zig hung his head in defeat. The G.O.A.T was the most important test he'd ever take, and he was about to fail it. There was horror stories floating around the vault about what happened to people that didn’t complete the G.O.A T. They get the worst jobs with the worst pay. Visions of wearing clown make-up and entertaining the rare child’s birthday party popped into his head as he stared down at his Pip Boy

Zig exited out of the exam on his Pip Boy, scrolling past all the warning about an incomplete test. "I'm ready, Mr. Briggs.”

"Good, let's go." The officer pointed to the door and marched Zig out of the room.


	2. Overseer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zig meets the overseer and learned what he was called in for.

Mr. Briggs dropped Zig off at the Overseer's office and locked the door behind him. The office followed the same blueprint as the other executive rooms in the vault, except for the big round window that overlooked the Atrium. It was the only view in the vault, and it belonged to the Overseer. The walls of the room were lined with filing cabinets, shelves stacked with books, and a metal chest which Zig assumed was something important.. Central to the office, was a crescent shaped wooden desk. Papers were scattered across the surface and log books were left open for anyone to see. A tall computer terminal blocked Zig from making eye contact with the man sitting behind the desk.

Overseer Garret sat in his soft office chair, typing away as per usual. Charles Garret was a tall, lanky man with an oversized head. His large, round spectacles just managed to balance out his features, and his big bushy gray mustache was not at all fashionable, though he insisted on keeping it.

Mr. Garret looked up from his work after Zig sat down in the chair opposite him. "How are you, Zachary?" he asked with a smile that Zig would have mistaken for a genuine one, had it not come from a politician.

"Fine, sir." Zig gave a terse answer. The words had little density to them.

"I know you're wondering why I called you up here in the middle of your G.O.A.T, and I must apologize for the poor timing. I had hoped the test would be over by this time" he explained, moving his hands away from the terminal keyboard. "With the need for more specialized careers, the examination has gotten longer. The first G.O.A.T exams were only 10 questions." The Overseer stretched his neck out to see Zig around the computer, "But I digress, I've called you here for something very important."

The overseer stood up from his chair and walked over to the window with his hands clasped behind his back. "As you know from Mr. Hatchet's lessons, the vault has been closed for nearly 75 years" the overseer lectured, "and since the beginning, vault security has been the loyal peacekeepers in a space ripe with tension"

Overseer Garret began pacing his office steadily, thinking on his words. "The security force here is handpicked by me, and the batch is carefully distilled to ensure only the best become officers. I've gone through the dossiers of every student in your class, and you are the sole candidate. That is why I, Overseer Charles Garret, third overseer of Vault 17, would like to ask you to join vault security”

Zig raised an eyebrow at the proposition. "My record made it?"

"After evaluating you, I've determined that you wouldn't jeopardize the safety of this vault for the sake of your own gain. You were the one to restrain your sister during the arrest, if I remember the reports correctly."

Zig furrowed his brows. The details in the security reports were impeccable. "I did," he answered, "but it wasn't easy." Zig admit, rubbing his hands to get the memory out of his muscles.

"That's exactly what we need. Someone who can make the right call in tough situations. You've shown you can do that, especially through your interactions with Mr. Wallace."  
"Security is always watching, huh?" Zig gave a short, nervous laugh. His chest felt hollow while sitting in the presence of the Overseer.  
"Mr. Wallace submitted reports." The overseer was quick to correct him.

"Of course," Zig just accepted his word. "What do you expect of me now? If I say yes, that is."

"You would go through training for a year, and then Deputy service for another year. When you're 18, you'll be qualified to be a full Vault security officer. Maybe even become head of Security, who knows?" He shrugged, "You obviously won't be guarding the Lockup of course, considering your relationship to one of the prisoners."

"My dad, overseer" Zig interrupted without thinking. He regretted it immediately, but he couldn't take it back.

"Yes, your father." he smiled "We trust you, Zachary, but safety first. You understand, yes?"

"I understand, but will this affect my visiting privileges?"

"No, you'll still be able to visit your father once a week." The Overseer confirmed.

"And what about my G.O.A.T exam? I can't say no while my test is incomplete, right?" Being a security officer wasn't a bad career, but Zig wanted to know all his options.

"I could make arrangements for you to retake the exam, however, you will have to answer all 100 questions again…" The overseer looked at Zig expectantly.

"I see... I'll accept then." Zig gave a short nod.

"I thought you might say that. You're free to go. Report to Officer Miller in the Security office to get your training schedule. Your rations will be managed based on his reports while you train, so work hard" The overseer gave another fake smile and dismissed the teenager.

Zig left the office and immediately went back to his apartment to nap. He hadn't done much, but he was exhausted. He wondered how his career was going to pan out. He figured he'd see a lot more of Katherine Briggs, considering her position as Loyalty Inspector, which wasn't a bad thing.

Besides that, it would be good to have something worth doing. Zig never really fit in anywhere in his class. He got along fine with everyone except the twins, but he never really found a place among them. He just became whatever he needed to be. His identity was vague, but now he was a security officer. He had a purpose in the vault and he decided he'd do his best. If he worked extra hard, he might get extra ration cards to afford a nice birthday cake for his sister this year.

Zig drift off to bed dreaming of fighting crime like in the Silver Shroud radio show. He almost forgot that he'd mainly be dealing with angsty teenagers and minor crimes in a vault, rather than fighting the mafia in a 2050's Chicago. It would be nice to go outside the vault someday, too, Zig thought.


	3. Serana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diving into Zig's family, and his relationship with his sister and father.

Zig woke up two hours later with a pounding head.

Water.

He got up and chugged a bottle of purified water, and threw the empty container in the recycling bin. The vault recycled everything, they couldn't afford to be wasteful. Zig stood in front of the mirror in his room and ran a hand through his messy black hair. He looked himself over in the mirror, imagining the results of the training he'll be going through. Zig wasn't in bad shape to begin with, but he wasn't particularly strong or fit, given the sedentary vault life style. If it weren't for the specialized diet and rationed supplies, he was sure everyone in the vault would get fat.

Streaks ran along the olive colored skin of his arms, indicating where the wrinkles in his sheets pressed into his body. Zig rubbed his arms to smooth the skin out to little avail. He knew it would disappear in a few minutes, but it still bothered him.

The hiss of hydraulics alerted Zig to the arrival of his sister. He rolled his sleeves down and went into the main room of the apartment to greet her.  
"Welcome back, Serena" Zig waved a hand and pulled a chair up to sit with her around the common room table.

Serena threw her tool bags into her bedroom and collapsed into the chair across from Zig. A tired groan escaped her lips as she lay her forehead on the table. The siblings sat in silence until Serena recharged.

"So, how was the G.O.A.T, Zig?" She asked, lifting her head from the table and looking at her brother sideways.

"I didn't finish it" Zig admitted, looking up to meet her eyes. "I'm in Security now. First day tomorrow"

"You're serious? Overseer wanted you? Well, do me a favor, okay? Don't let those jerks push you around" Serena reached a hand across the table

"My job is to get bossed around, you know?" Zig took her hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of her knuckle. "You know what I mean. You know who the jerks in the force are. Don't let them turn you into another bucket head." Zig smiled. Bucket head. "Have some faith Serena. I'll make sure they get what's coming to 'em." Serena raised an eyebrow and Zig corrected himself immediately. "Within the extent of the law, of course. I wouldn't want to get arrested."

"If you did, I'd start thinking rebellion was genetic," Serena laughed at her own joke. the sound soon turned sour and died when she saw the look on her brother's face. "What are you thinking?" she asked, worried about how Zig's relationship with their father might change now.

"I can see dad more often now, if I'm careful. He's been pretty good lately, but I can keep an eye on him, you know?"

"Zig, no. He doesn't deserve it" Serena interrupted, knowing where that line of thought was headed "It's not worth getting caught drugging up an inmate. They'll throw you in there too." She pulled her hand away and brought it close to her chest. “What he did was wrong. Don’t feed his bad habits, no matter how much he begs.”

"Alright. You're right. It's just tough to see him suffer. He's our dad" Zig dropped his hands to his lap and leaned back.

"He made his choice, and it got him locked up. Let him pay for his actions." Serena wasn't having it. Zig knew she had lost most of her love for their father after his arrest, but Zig insisted on trying to fix things. "If I have to make a choice between the law and my own dad, I'll deal with the consequences" Zig said.

"I'm not losing both of you! After everything that's happened, you'd let me eat dinner alone with my entire family in jail?" Serena shook her head in disappointment. That hit a chord with Zig. She knew what to say to bend him to her will. “Listen, I know you love him, and want to see him come home and recover, but this isn’t the way to do that. I don’t want you to think about this again. He’s just trying to manipulate you. It’s what he does.”

Zig slumped in his chair, staring down between his legs. With a sigh, he said “I just don’t want him to suffer more. They’re not even helping him cope, he’s going crazy in there.”  
“It’s our only option. He’s dealing with the consequences of his actions.” Serana explained. “I don't want to talk about this again." She let her head dip again.  
Zig noticed she looked exhausted. "Fine. It's nearly curfew, you should go to bed."

"I'm planning on it, but I've gotta give my brother a little attention every once in a while, right?" She smiled at him.

"You never leave me alone!" Zig chuckled. Somehow Serena always managed to change the mood at the drop of a hat.

"Well, what are older sisters for?"

"For sleeping. Go to bed!"

"Yes, officer"

Serena got up and walked over to her bedroom, which was opposite of Zig's. The hydraulics hissed as the door opened. She turned around before the automatic door closed again. She waved at her younger brother, "Goodnight, Zig." She said, heading to bed.

"Night" Zig replied in kind as the door closed.

Zig checked his Pip Boy, for the time. The clock in the corner of the interface said it was almost 11 o'clock, but Zig was not at all in the mood to go back to sleep. He grabbed his jacket from the hanger and went to the lower levels of the vault, where no one would bother him.

Zig sought out the restricted stair case, which lead to the sub-level of the vault. Technically, the zone was quarantined, and trespassing was illegal, but given the shortage of man power, no one actively guarded the area. He closed the door behind him to make sure no one followed him in. He followed the stairway down to his destination.

The emergency lights were always on in there. A dim red glow covered the entire floor, not that there was much to look at. The bottom level of the vault looked like a big warehouse. The stone floor was the same kind of cold as the metal plating of the upper levels. The walls all had bigger filtration units than anything Zig had seen upstairs. Massive vents appeared on the far wall, where there was a collapsed doorway. Rubble blocked any hope of exploring further into the sub level of the vault. This one secluded room was enough to satisfy Zig's use of it, though, he was curious about what used to be down here.

The metal shelves that stacked the walls were empty and looked to be vacant for a long time. Dust settled in a thick layer on every surface, like a cotton blanket. Fortunately, the filtration system was still active enough to keep the air clean.

Zig reached into his jacket and pulled out a box of cigarettes. He pulled out a stick and held it between his lips while he searched for his lighter. The black and white plasma lighter did the job with precision, burning the very tip of the cigarette. He put the box and lighter away, and sat down against the wall while smoking.  
With the number of times Zig's father came up that day, it was hard not to think about his arrest a year ago.

When it happened, the three family members were going to the mess hall together to get lunch. His father always insisted on eating together. Zig didn't quite understand it, but he loved his dad and he went along with it. He always got a little gift whenever they went out too. His father used to be head physician of the vault, which paid well. He had a lot of ration cards to spend on luxury items. He'd get Zig a toy when he was younger, but as he grew older, he started handing him the ration cards instead of a gift. Zig kept them, and after his father's arrest, he used them for cigarettes.

Zig took a long drag of his cigarette. He thought about his old man pretty often, but it never stopped bothering him. His dad never seemed phased by anything. He never yelled at anyone. Zig's father always seemed too calm for any situation, but that made him an excellent surgeon. That is, until he started to develop a twitch. Little twitches in his fingers during procedures could cause a lot of damage. Luckily, he never slipped up, until Mrs. Pennyweather. During a routine operation, Zig's father experienced a rather violent spasm. which damaged his patient's knee. Mrs. Pennyweather complained to the overseer and security started an investigation.

Then one day, while they were going to eat, their dad got arrested. A handful officers approached him. Zig's Father seemed to have known they were there for him. As soon as they informed him of his arrest, he resisted. Zig and Serena watched in horror as they tried to subdue their father with little success. Serena tried to stop them, but Zig held her back. He locked his arms around her waist while she struggled and cried out.

They had almost beat him unconscious before senior officer Briggs stopped them. He took their dad into custody. Officer Briggs was the one to break the news to Zig and Serena. They hadn't suspected their dad of dosing himself with Med-X. Zig blamed himself for not catching it sooner. The hazy expression, the calm attitude, the twitching. Zig's perception of his father shattered and for the past year, he's been trying to mend those wounds.

The cigarette in Zig's mouth burned down to the end. He dropped the stub and put it out on the stone floor. With a grunt, Zig pushed himself up and headed back out the way he came. It was getting late and the next day, he started training.


End file.
